7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Colin

"Are you certain this is necessary?" Colin asked as Jack knelt in front of him, carefully applying kohl to his eyes. Colin's shirt was a size too small, at Jack's insistence, and the black trousers he wore were at risk of cutting off blood flow.

"You, my friend," Jack said slowly, his tongue poking through his teeth, "are going to look hot."

"And that is a requirement?" Colin asked. He tried not to shift in the chair.

"Of course it is." Jack leaned back and grinned at his handiwork. "Violá. With that look, and that accent of yours… the ladies are going to die. Or gents, if you swing that way. We don't judge here."

"I do not want anybody to die," Colin spluttered.

"Dude." Jack pressed a hand to his shoulder. "You're so tense, even Ava can tell. And she's the queen of tense. Tonight, we're going to fix that. We'll get some booze in you, I'll wingman you a hot girl, and you can work out all that tension on her!"

It took Colin a few moments to realise what Jack was implying, and then he recoiled in disgust, knocking Jack's hand from his shoulder. "I am a gentleman. I would not take such liberties of a lady's honour, and I have no plans to abase myself in such a manner."

Jack stood up quickly. "Oh. I'm sorry, I think I—"

"I am tense," Colin continued, standing as well. He was glad to find he was of a height with Jack. "Because I am extremely far from home, in a situation I am wholly unfamiliar with, with the pressure of protecting my younger sister and my best friend from dangers I cannot anticipate, while my family is likely twisting themselves into knots looking for us."

Jack sagged. "Dude. Colin, I'm so sorry. I was just joking around. You know we'd never put any of you in danger, right?"

"I do not know that," Colin said. "I do not know you. All I know is that you have been extremely forward and insulting, while you poke and prod me like I am a toy of yours to dress up, and not a person in my own right."

Jack grimaced. "Sorry. Again." He fidgeted with his hands. "Look, I'm going to get real with you for a sec. I do get it. Ava's my kid sister, and I worry about her all the time. She's the smartest person I know, but she can also be extremely dumb sometimes, and you know, she hasn't taken a single holiday since she started her PhD? She works too hard, and I don't know how to help her. I thought this might be a good opportunity to make her take her hair down, you know? Have some fun. That's all. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable."

He looked truly contrite, wringing his hands and looking back at Colin with wide, apologetic eyes. The bravado he had been swinging since Colin met him seemed to have melted away. Jack pulled a face. "We don't have to go anywhere. And I can remove the eyeliner." He shrugged. "Or not—you do look great, but obviously man, I'm not going to push you into doing something you don't want to."

Colin sighed. "You know, you offer a very proficient apology, my friend. I was quite ready for a fight, but you seem perfectly contrite." He tilted his head and offered Jack a faint grin. "I do not think I have ever heard an apology so eloquent, indeed. I should perhaps be taking notes."

Jack brightened. "So we're good?"

"All is forgiven," Colin allowed. "Now, do you have a mirror so I can judge for myself if your artwork is truly up to scratch?"

"I do indeed," Jack said in a rich tone, deeper than his usual voice. "Right this way, my Lord."

"I am but a third son," Colin said. "Call me Colin."

"Third son of a Viscount," Jack muttered as he led him into the bathroom, where a small, slightly smudged mirror sat above the sink. Colin stared at himself and let out a low whistle. His blue eyes seemed brighter somehow with the dark lining, and Jack was right that his shoulders were fantastically defined in the tight shirt.

It was definitely improper. He should certainly wash his face and return to his cravat and dinner jacket attire.

Colin tapped his fingers against his thigh. That being said… Jack was dressed much the same. If he said this was the normal attire for the clubs they were to attend, Colin would look out of place in his usual clothing. Not to mention, even indoors, the warmth of the day made itself known. He was quite glad for the excuse to forego all his typical layers in the summer heat.

That was it. The flash of red which crossed his mind as he took in his reflection merely referred to the summer sun. He certainly didn't want to see what Penelope's reaction might be to such a look. They may have reconciled this morning, but he knew he had a long way to go before proving he deserved her continued friendship, let alone…

He shook himself. "It will do," he announced. "When are we to leave?"

Jack fished a black square thing from his pocket and began tapping at it with a determined air, until it gave a ping, and he looked up. "They're just getting ready," he said. "They were out shopping. Why don't we go get some supplies for the night?"

Supplies, it turned out was an entire bottle of whiskey, a large container of something entitled 'coca cola', and two bottles of the cheapest white wine the shop had to offer. Jack whistled as they climbed the steps to Ava's apartment, knocking on the door with a playful rhythm.

A ruckus sounded on the other side of the door, a rush of ladies whispering amid charging footsteps, and then Lacey flung the door open with a grin. Her hair was half curled, and Colin's jaw dropped as he took in the rest of her outfit. A low-cut black dress hugged her waist, leaving nothing to the imagination, before it flared out into a floaty skirt.

Jack whistled low and appreciatively, pushing past Colin and pressing his hands to her waist. "You are looking good," he said, and for a fond moment, Colin thought of Anthony staring across the Pall-mall field at Miss Sharma. There was something of the same look in Jack's eyes as he took a step back and asked Lacey to spin.

She twirled, the skirt of her dress flaring out to reveal far too much leg, and Jack grinned with his heart in his eyes.

Colin made sure to avert his gaze, allowing himself a small personal smile. He found he was rather growing fond of these future folk with their strange customs and relaxed sensibilities. It was like Pen said: everything was still the same. People still loved, and cared for each other. Brothers still worried about their sisters.

He could face this modern world. With the veil unfurled from his eyes, he could look around and see similarities where before everything was strange and foreign. He knew dressing up and dancing. He knew the sting of a good whiskey to help the evening pass easier. He could walk through this world and find his confidence here.

And then the door to the bedroom opened, and all his thoughts of confidence evaporated as he turned to face the vision who had just entered the room. Penelope Featherington was a goddess in green. Her hair had been curled and left loose, cascading in fantastical ringlets over the emerald gown which hugged her curves and revealed tremendous portions of leg. Her eyes were rimmed; her lips were darkened with a red which was almost purple, and drew every ounce of Colin's focus towards them.

She stopped just through the doorway, her eyes fixing to his. Her lips parted softly, and Colin thought he might have seen something in her brilliant blue eyes darken. He added the new shade to the collection he was keeping in his mind, and as his heart stuttered in his chest, it took a considerable quantity of self control not to cross the room in three strides and draw her into his arms.

Taking in the way her oh-so-observant gaze burned into his own body, he thought she might even let him if he tried, but he steeled himself against the desire. She deserved so much more than his lust. He would earn his place at her side, and when they returned home, he would court her the way she truly deserved. He would send her flowers twice a week and walk with her at promenade. He would dance with her thrice at every ball and demonstrate his intentions for all the mocking gentlemen to see.

And the world would see just what Penelope Featherington was worth.

"Miss Featherington," he said now, glad that his voice came out mostly coherent. "Your dress is exquisite."

She offered him a halting smile, as if surprised by his words—or maybe she had seen something in his face. Then she lifted her chin as if in challenge and her smile grew. "Thank you, Mister Bridgerton. I quite agree."

Eloise

Eloise was certainly aware that her powers of observation were lacking. While she knew she had liked Kate Sharma, unlike Daphne she had not even considered there might be something between her and Anthony until it had been pointed out to her. After the botched wedding to Miss Edwina. Not to mention, Eloise's best friend was Lady Whistledown, and she had gone completely unaware of the situation for two years.

Now, the same friend confessed she had feelings for Eloise's own brother, and Eloise could not imagine how she had ever been so completely blind to it. She left the bedroom at Pen's side, and Colin did not even appear to see her, so entranced was he with Pen's new dress.

Not to mention, he seemed to have done something to himself. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, finally scoffing when he seemed determined not to notice her. "Are you wearing makeup, brother?" she demanded.

Colin just grinned. "It appears that I am," he said. "My dear friend Jack informs me that is how things are done nowadays, and I should not want to be out of place. Do you like it?"

"You look ridiculous," Eloise told him.

His gaze flattened and he finally looked at her. "You have the gall to say such a thing in—what exactly are you wearing?"

Eloise lifted her chin. She realised at this point that she may have derailed a moment between Colin and Pen (the thought still left a taste of discomfort in her mouth. It would certainly take some getting used to), but she was too far gone now to return to the top of the conversation.

"I would not expect you to understand modern fashion," Eloise said. "Your shirt does not appear to properly fit you."

Jack interrupted her with a bark of laughter, glee dancing in his eyes. He flung an arm over Colin's shoulder, and she saw that he, too, was wearing a shirt which was far too tight, revealing every muscle of his torso. It was obscene. Eloise glanced to Penelope, who seemed quite flushed, her attention lingering on Colin.

Eloise had been blind indeed.

"Sisters," Jack said brightly. "We love them, we hate them."

"You love me? You should have said." Ava strode from the bathroom with her hair tugged back into a ponytail, her long legs adorned with ragged, criss-cross tights which disappeared into a tiny pair of shorts. Her stomach was on show—her sequined black shirt hung above the navel and she wore a pair of shoes which carried her high above the ground, giving her an additional three inches at least.

She pinched Jack's cheek and dove for the bag in his hand, drawing out a bottle of wine with a grin. Then she turned to grin at Eloise, whose jaw had become quite loose.

"Want some extremely low quality wine?"

It was a terrible idea. Eloise had no personal experience of drinking to excess (as a Lady, it was quite forbidden), and she was already fighting a losing battle keeping her eyes away from Ava's navel.

Then again… why bother hiding it? Eloise straightened her spine, strode across the room to Ava and took the bottle from her hands, thrilling in the brush of their fingers. She would be here for two weeks more, and then she would never see Ava again. Why should it matter if her curiosity was obvious? She was just going back home where she'd suffer for it.

"Terrible wine sounds like a splendid idea," she said. "Pen?"

Pen was attempting to converse with Colin. It was something to see, the two of them stumbling over formalities while pretending they were not enamoured with the other.

Eloise might vomit. She stepped forward and yanked Pen away from him, dragging her towards the kitchen and wishing for a return to the unobservant girl she had been that morning.

"Eloise!" Pen protested.

"Penelope," Eloise returned, giving her a pointed look as they entered the kitchen, where Ava waited with some very large, very clouded wine glasses (if glass were even the right term). She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "I do not know how I never saw it before," she hissed. "It is quite obvious that—"

Pen squeaked, pressing a hand to her arm. "Oh no, am I being foolish?"

"Not you," Eloise insisted. Then she paused. "Okay, I must admit—"

"Oh no!"

"Penelope," Eloise said in a hot whisper. "He has not taken his eyes off you since you entered the room. If I had not spoken, I doubt he would have noticed I were there. It is quite clear that he is enamoured with you." She grimaced. "I have seen that look on Anthony's face far too much recently not to recognise it."

Pen went silent. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she shook her head timidly from side to side.

"Are you talking about Lord Heart-eyes in there?" Ava asked, handing Eloise an extremely generous glass of wine.

Pen intercepted it, taking a large gulp with shaking hands. "You must be mistaken," she insisted. "I heardhim say, very clearly, that he was not interested."

"Oh yeah?" Ava leaned on the counter in the kitchen and looked out through the door. Eloise leaned over to follow her gaze. It seemed Jack and Lacey had successfully stolen Colin's focus. Ava looked back, her gaze connecting with Eloise's. Eloise felt the urge to copy Penelope's large gulp of wine.

"Was he with his mates at the time?" Ava asked, turning back to Pen. "Men will say the dumbest shit when their mates are around. You can never believe a thing a bloke says when he's surrounded by his friends and showing off. It's true."

Pen took another gulp of wine, frowning into her glass. "Well. I suppose…" She trailed off, blinking hard. "I suppose it does not matter, either way. It is not to be. He will not care for me once he discovers… certain truths."

"You mean what you did to Marina," Eloise said in a harder voice than she intended. She was still not used to connecting the Pen she had known almost her entire life with the cruellest parts of Lady Whistledown.

Pen smiled tightly. "Indeed." She took another gulp of wine and released a heavy sigh before turning on her heel and returning to the living room.

Ava whistled low, watching her go, and Eloise finally allowed herself to focus on her. It felt… exciting. Dangerous, and tentative and terrifying, all at once, just to look at her. Just to let herself take in the length of her legs and the sliver of skin at her waist.

"That sounds complicated," Ava said, holding out the available wine glass to Eloise.

Eloise gladly took a large gulp of wine and choked on the sharp tang which she'd never tasted in the small glasses she was permitted at home. Half her mouthful spewed back into the glass, and Ava laughed, her entire body tipping back against the counter as the laughter took her over, the music of it filling the small kitchen and dancing off the walls.

Delight rolled through Eloise, and though mortification crawled up the back of her neck, she could not help but beam, all propriety forgotten as the joy of Ava's laughter filled her up and made her giddy. She brimmed with it, as Ava calmed and admitted to the poor quality of wine, and the moment was over in just a handful of heartbeats, but Eloise knew that once she left this place, she would remember this moment, in this kitchen, a world away from home with the most incredible woman Eloise had ever met.

And she had just two weeks to know her.

"Ava," she said, a hoarse note of desperation seeping into her voice. "May I tell you something?"

She immediately missed the spark in Ava's eyes. Ava's smile faltered and dimmed as she sobered up, setting her wine glass aside and giving Eloise her whole focus. Eloise chanced another (smaller) gulp of wine.

"Our conversation this morning has been playing on my mind," Eloise said. She could not raise her voice above a whisper, somehow. So much had occurred, and she felt she had changed so much in her understanding of herself and the world around her, that the morning felt like a lifetime ago. She clung to the wine glass and fixed her gaze on the tiny gathering of freckles on Ava's left cheek.

Ava said nothing, letting Eloise's words hang between them, and the silence seemed like a vacuum which sucked Eloise's nervous words from her. "I think I may—that my affinity may lay in the same direction as yours."

She watched Ava's eyebrows tug into a frown. She noted every crease in Ava's skin as her lips pursed, just for a second, before her expression cleared into understanding and her lips fell open and the frown cleared from her forehead.

"Oh! You mean you're gay. You like girls?"

Eloise's throat closed, and the truth swirled around their heads, and she nodded. Her next breath trembled, as she fought to maintain her composure, even as the undeniable weight of the truth settled fully onto her shoulders.

"Oh, El." Ava's voice cracked down the middle and she closed the space between them in an instant, drawing Eloise into the warm strength of her embrace. "I know."